Give You Everything
by TheLadyRikku
Summary: He never thought he'd wake up to this, not in a million years. Working title and sucky summary, so sorry! More inside on the first chapter :) My idea on how Gajeel and Levy ended up together.
1. Chapter 1

I don't really have a good title for this yet, so I'll make do with what I have for now. I'm also sorry for the sucky summary as well. I haven't really planned much haha

As for now, I'm having this take place some time after the Grand Magic Games. I've only gotten that far in the anime and I'm currently in the S-Class exams in the manga, so bear with me!

It might take a while to for the next chapter to be up, but I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Levy strolled through the streets of Magnolia, her mind saturated with the recent events. She had just returned from a job with team Shadow Gear. It was simple, she was to read and record writings from some old tablets while the boys stood guard over the artifacts. They even offered extra jewels if she could translate passages from her notes. She was just as enthused about her spent time with Jet and Droy. Seven years was far too much time to lose and it strained the team's relationship more than one would think.

In the beginning, the boys seemed so distant. Not physically of course, they spent plenty of time together in the guild hall, but they were always talking about some story or mission or joke that she wouldn't catch on to. She felt so left out. She would never tell them that though, it wasn't their fault that she'd been sealed away for so long. So she clung to someone familiar, in a manner of speaking.

She was torn from her reverie as someone grabbed her by the back of her collar. A deep voice boomed from behind her. His voice.

"Oi, shrimp. Don't try to walk with your nose stuck in a book."

She glanced above her notes to see a stream of running people were now in front of her.

"Eh-heh, whoops."

"Why the hell you so distracted anyways?"

She trotted quickly beside him, trying to keep up with his long strides as they wound their way through Magnolia. It was becoming a common occurrence for them to cross paths in the city.

"I'm heading to my favorite bookstore, need some books for translation." The small woman grinned and held up a very full notebook.

"You're so strange"

"Oh, I'm strange? I'm not the one who eats metal."

"Gihi"

He'd found himself getting rather used to her smart mouth.

She stopped short, nearly causing the large man to crash into her.

"It's closed?"

"There's a sign. 'Closed until further notice due to familial matters.'" he read from the door.

Levy shrugged her shoulders in defeat.

"Aw. Well, I guess I'm going home to get started then."

"Hm, yeah. See ya 'round."

Gajeel.

Dreams of him once kept her up at night, but now they plagued her with an entirely different feeling of uneasiness.


	2. Chapter 2

Gajeel wondered how long it would take her to realize that bumping into each other wasn't a coincidence. He'd had this nagging feeling about her in the pit of his stomach ever since Tenroujima. Or was it before? She had been the first, other than Master, to show him kindness.

_He sat in the guild infirmary after Laxus's attempted coup. The nurses had patched up his major wounds, but left him alone to take care of the others._

_So here he was with one arm in a sling, spewing forth a string of curses as he attempted to wrap his other arm. _

_A small voice interrupted his concentration._

_"You know, you can ask for help."_

_It was Levy._

_He stared at her dumbfounded as the little blunette took the wrap from his hand. The girl he beat the ever-living shit out of was helping him._

_"I guess stubbornness is a Dragon Slayer prerequisite." she glanced up at him and flashed a kind smile. She quickly accomplished what took him minutes to do._

_"There, all better." she chirped_

_"You didn't have to." _

_"It's no problem." She gave him another smile and turned to walk away._

_Her voice caught Gajeel's attention again._

_" I never thanked you before, for saving me from Laxus. He probably would have killed me if you hadn't protected me. So thank you."_

_And just like that she was gone._

Yeah, that was probably when it started. But Tenroujima cemented that uneasy feeling into his body.

After the excitement of winning the Grand Magic Games had passed, everyone had begun to settle into their new lives. It was more difficult to adjust to their lost 7 years than he thought. At least Gajeel hadn't left anyone behind. Juvia, Lily, and Levy were the only ones he was remotely close to, and they were all there on the island.

With the exception of the three months of training for the Games, the Shrimp had been hanging around with him on a regular basis. At first she would just sit near him and read or whatever other nerdy stuff she did. Then she would chatter at him about books or jobs or something stupid her lapdogs did. Most of the time he wouldn't pay much attention and only mumble a reply, but eventually he began talking about his own things with her. The Shorty had a way of making people talk and for once in his life, he didn't mind talking to someone so much. They even began doing small, mundane jobs together.

And so, he began to watch her more closely. And, on occasion, he would follow her. He began noticing little, _annoyingly cute_ things she did. Like the little wiggle she would do during a suspenseful part in her book and how she would put her lower lip into a pout during a sad part. Or how she bounced and rocked on the balls of her feet when she was excited. And he couldn't forget the big grin she gives him every time she greets him.

Oh no, there was no denying it.

He had it bad for Levy McGarden.


	3. Chapter 3

Ok I lied, I got this chapter done quite quickly. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it though. I hope you enjoy it!

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Gajeel tried to make it a point not to be up before the crack of noon, but some mornings he just couldn't sleep in. Not with the dreams he'd been having recently.

Scratch that, most of them were nightmares. They'd start out good, often dealing with Levy, but quickly turned south. Sometimes he swore he could still hear her screams after he woke. Lily was even beginning to grow worried, but he always waved the cat off.

These feelings were strange to say the least. He wasn't naïve though, he knew he had feelings for the script mage, but not what to do about them. He resolved to keep quiet for the time being. Telling her would only push her away. After all, she couldn't possibly have feelings for a person like him.

'Even if she did, I don't deserve her. Not after everything I've done…and what I've done to her.'

He really needed to resolve this situation somehow, before it drove him batshit insane. How such a little girl could occupy so large a part of his mind was beyond him.

Running helped him keep his mind off of things for a little while. The brisk morning air removed most of the scents of the city. It helped to clear his mind.

When he stopped to catch his breath, Gajeel found himself standing near the book store he and Levy walked to the week before. A small, middle-aged woman was outside of it, struggling with some boxes.

'The owner?' he wondered as he walked towards the woman who was quickly going to lose the content of one of her boxes. He deftly caught it before it fell to the ground. It was filled with books of all sizes.

"Oh my! Thank you."

He grunted a reply and began to walk away. Something told him to turn around.

"Do you need help with those?" he suddenly asked.

She gave him a surprised look that confused the hell out of him.

"Actually yes, I would appreciate that. I just received them all from my mother, she passed away recently."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright dear, it wasn't unexpected. Now here, I'll show you where to put these boxes."

Her store was small, but homey. It was lined floor to ceiling with shelves packed full of books and scrolls. There was a small area with tables and chairs in the loft. It looked more like a library than a store. He could see why Levy would like it.

"It's not much, but it's home."

Gajeel smirked to himself, he knew that feeling.

"My friend loves this place, she was wondering where you went."

"Your friend?"

"Levy McGarden."

"Oh, you're a friend of Miss Levy's! Are you in Fairy Tail as well?"

Gajeel nodded.

"Well let me get you something for your trouble." She handed him a small sum of Jewels.

"I should be open again here in the next few days, if you'd let Miss Levy know."

"Yeah, she'll be excited."

'That's an understatement, she'll be downright fucking giddy.' He tried not to think too hard about her reaction.

"I'm sorry to admit, at first I was intimidated by your appearance, but you are a lovely young man. I guess of all people I should know not to judge a book by its cover. And of course, if you are a friend of Miss Levy, then you must be a good person. I swear, she knows how to see right into people's hearts."

A small blush crept onto his face and he quickly excused himself from the shop.

'God dammit, why does everything come back to her?' He thought as he shoved his hands in his pockets and stomped down the street towards his house.

How was he supposed to get this girl out of his head? Did he even want to? What the hell was he going to do?

This was fucking torture.


	4. Chapter 4

Damn, this is a long one!

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'Well shit.'

The last thing he thought he'd see was Levy was sitting on the hill by his house.

"Shorty?"

The petite mage looked up from her book and smiled.

"I saw you out running; I figured I'd get you some water." She pulled a bottle out of her bag and handed it to him. She hoped that this wasn't too lame of an excuse for her to see him. She just couldn't get him out of her head today.

"Um…thanks." Gajeel sat down beside her and pulled off his sweatshirt, only wearing a muscle shirt underneath and _damn_, did it show off his body.

Levy swallowed hard and tried to keep her cool.

'You've seen him half naked before, Levy. It's the same thing.'

He gulped down most of the bottle and poured the rest over his head.

'Oh no, like he needed to look any more sexy.' Levy sighed internally, what did she think she was doing?

She looked up to see him glaring at her.

'Oh God no, did I say that out loud?'

"You dropped something." he informed, pointing to her side.

Something shiny in the grass caught her attention.

"Oh! My necklace!" She scooped up the trinket and held it close.

"I don't know what I would have done if I lost it."

"It's broken." Why the hell would she keep a busted necklace?

"Yeah, it has...sentimental value," She stared at it solemnly, "It was a gift from my mother. She gave it to me the day she died."

Gajeel never thought to ask her about her family. Most of the guild members couldn't remember their parents; he assumed she was just like the rest.

"What happened?"

"I wasn't born in Magnolia, my parents decided to move here when I was 10. I didn't want to go; I was so scared to leave my friends. So she got me this as a present to cheer me up. We went by train but there was an accident and the train derailed. When I woke up in the hospital here, the nurse told me my parents had died of their injuries. I somehow got out with just a broken leg and bruises. The only things I had left from my parents were this necklace, some clothes, and my mother's books."

Now it all made sense, it explained her love of books. He wondered how much like her mother Levy was.

"Dunno if it means much, but sorry." He chanced at physical contact and placed his hand over hers. She didn't shy away.

"I appreciate it."

"Can I see it?" he requested, pulling his hand awkwardly from hers.

He turned the small pendant over in his hand. It was shaped as an open book. Tiny runes were etched delicately into the metal pages with a fragment of a rune under the tip of what he assumed used to be a quill.

"It was broken like that when I found it again. I just never got around to having it fixed. Mother said it would play a song when you ran magic through it."

Gajeel dug through his pockets, retrieving a small piece of metal from the one. Letting his power flow through his fingertips, he gently molded a new feather quill from the scrap iron and fused it seamlessly with the pendant. He painstakingly re-carved the miniscule runes, hoping not to damage the magic held within them. Finally he fused the clasp and chain back together.

"Did you just…?" She asked breathlessly.

Gajeel clasped the chain around her lithe neck, her spine tingling as his fingers brushed against her skin.

She marveled at the nearly flawless necklace that now hung around her neck.

"I didn't know you could do that"

"Neither did I." he sighed - his task expended more magic than he cared to admit.

"I don't know what to say."

"Levy."

"Yeah?" She gazed straight into his tired eyes as he leaned in closer.

"Ya gonna play it?"

"Oh!"

A soft lullaby sprang to life as she touched the pendant and Levy's eyes nearly instantly glazed over.

"I never knew what it sounded like; mama told me she'd play it when we got to our new home." She was absolutely entranced by the music.

"Do you know it?"

"She used to sing me asleep to this song."

Tears spilled down her cheeks, but she still kept a blank expression.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she instantly leaned against him, sobbing quietly.

There it was, his weakness. Seeing her so sad, scared, and seemingly alone…everything he was before joining Fairy Tail and meeting her.

She spoke quietly.

"Everything I learned came from my mom. She said knowledge is power and that books are the best weapons in the world. I thought I was over it because it's been so long, but I miss her so much."

"'S not something ya really get over." he mumbled into her hair.

Part of him ached from memories of his own parent. Metalicana may have been a selfish prick, but he took Gajeel in when there was nowhere else to go.

Levy pulled away and dried her tears on her sleeve. Gajeel instantly missed her weight against him.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be sobbing like an idiot. I'm not the only one here who lost their parents."

The man shrugged.

"Don't remember 'em."

"I meant Metalicana."

"Ah. Well, I've sorta dealt with it."

"You don't remember your parents at all?"

"Nah, Metalicana was all there ever was. Don't remember anything before that. No parents, no home…hell I don't even know how old I really am."

"Wow, are you serious?"

"Best guess is that I'm around 22. Metalicana figured I was about 5 when he found me cuz I could already speak and read a little. He had to teach me to read an' write, even taught me some of the dragon language."

Levy's jaw practically dropped.

"Dragon language? You know another language and you never told me?" She seemed genuinely offended.

He laughed deeply. It took so little to get her riled up. He loved that about her.

"I know a bit of a few languages, shorty. Came with the job."

"The job?"

"Jose had plenty of enemies. Sometimes I would spend weeks at a time away from Fiore."

"Oh." She figured she wouldn't press anymore. Levy fidgeted with her necklace, racking her brain for a change of subject.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

"Smartass" she chided

"Damn right." He ducked as she swatted at him.

"Ok, ok…shoot."

"Your piercings, can you remove them or are they part of your skin? Because, you know….metal."

"They were just piercings but I fused them into my skin. It was an accident but I kept them like that. Don't plan on gettin' rid of 'em."

She reached her hand out towards him.

"May I?"

He leaned his face in close to hers. Levy hesitantly touched his nose piercing, then the one on his lip.

"Huh, neat."

"Ya know, no one's really asked about them before. I guess they were too intimidated." He said with a pleased tone.

"Well I like them."

"Really?"

"They're interesting. Did they hurt?"

"Some of them. The ones on my arms, chin, and eyebrows had to be screwed into my skin."

He laughed at the grimace on her face.

"Don't laugh! I'm too scared to even get my ears pierced!"

"Oh please, Shrimp. Ya barely feel it."

"Um….do you think you could pierce them for me?"

Gajeel rolled his eyes.

"Only if you promise not to cry."

"_Gajeel!_"

"Sure, ya wanna do it tomorrow?"

"Okay!" She said cheerfully as she jumped to her feet, "I'll see you tomorrow then!"

He watched as she left, her hips swinging as she skipped away.


	5. Chapter 5

The Dragon Slayer must have caught her scent as she approached because the small woman didn't even get a chance to knock before the door to his house swung open.

"Hey shorty." He gave a cocky grin as he leaned against the door frame. Gajeel was wearing an ordinary pair of dark jeans and a red t-shirt. Levy had never seen him in something so…_plain_. Still, he looked good.

"Levy!"

Lily came bounding around the corner and flew straight into the giggling girl's arms. The cat gave Gajeel a knowing glare as his face was practically shoved into Levy's chest.

"Welcome to our home!"

It wasn't what Levy had expected. For one, it was….clean. Most of the men in Fairy Tail had rooms or homes self-labeled as "organized chaos." She suspected that Lily had a hand in this.

The one-story house looked small from the outside but was actually quite spacious. The front door led directly into the living room, an oversized wrap-around couch was situated in front of a coffee table and a large lacrima screen. An open doorway revealed a modest but well stocked kitchen and dining room. The hallway next to the kitchen led to what Levy guessed was Gajeel's bedroom.

Levy crossed her arms over her chest.

"Huh."

"What?"

"It's not what I expected is all."

"Let me guess, you thought it'd be dark and full of metal?" Lily joked.

"Something like that."

"Hilarious, you two. I actually do try to keep stuff neat, well except –" He jerked his head for Levy to follow. He led them to a door on the other side of the kitchen and kicked it open. There were boxes, scrap metal, and other junk strewn about the room.

Levy facepalmed.

"So, just keeping up appearances?" Gajeel just shrugged.

"I made him clean up his mess when I moved in." Lily stated.

"Damn cat has a cleaning complex." He whispered close to her ear, causing a shiver to race down her spine.

'I knew it!'

"I can still hear you!"

"Whatever." Gajeel grumbled. "So, we doing this?"

Levy put on the bravest face she could, she was determined to go through with this!

"You bet!"

He steered her by the back of the head to the living room and sat her down on the couch.

"Be right back."

"Woah, this is comfy!" she said as she bounced up and down on the leather couch.

"Don't you break my damn furniture!" his muffled shout came from down the hall. Gajeel returned with a small metal box.

Her stomach lurched as he pulled out two rather large needles. Levy absolutely hated needles, and her face must have shown it.

"Calm down, Lev. You'll barely feel it. Now sit up straight."

She watched him carefully as he knelt in front of her, pushing back her hair to inspect her ears. He marked them with a pen and stood back to make sure they were even.

"Deep breath in."

Levy obeyed.

"And out."

She felt pressure and a small pinch before Gajeel's hands were off of her.

"Wait, that's it?" she asked while he slipped a plain silver stud through her ear as he drew the needle out.

"What'd I tell you? The other one may hurt a bit more now that you know what's gonna happen."

It did, but it was nothing Levy couldn't handle.

"All done. Lil'! Go get her a mirror."

The little blunette seemed absolutely entranced by her reflection.

"I love them!" Levy threw her hands around the man's neck, pulling him into a big hug. Gajeel nervously looked to Lily, but the cat only laughed. Luckily she pulled away before he could reciprocate.

"I can't wait to show everyone!"

Gajeel and Lily couldn't help but grin, Levy's smile and happiness were contagious. They waved her off.

"Go ahead, we'll meet you at the guild."

When they entered, Levy was sitting at her usual table chatting happily with Jet and Droy. Gajeel waved briefly at her and made his way to the bar.

"What can I get you?" Chirped Mirajane

"Whiskey, neat."

Gajeel turned around to find Juvia in his face.

"God fucking dammit, woman!" Even after all this time, Juvia could still get the slip on him.

"Juvia is sorry, but Gajeel's face is always priceless."

She hopped up onto a barstool.

"Levy-chan showed off her new earrings to Juvia, did Gajeel do them for her?"

"What if I did?"

Juvia rested her chin on her hand, swirling the straw in her own drink.

"No need to get defensive. Juvia has just noticed that Gajeel has been spending a lot of time with Levy recently."

"And?" He nodded in thanks at Mira as she slipped a drink into his hand, ignoring the barkeeps smug smile at the conversation.

"And, when is he planning on telling her how he feels?"

"I'm not." Juvia's eyes grew large.

"What!?" Gajeel felt the air grow heavy with moisture around the two mages.

"Calm your tits, woman. I said I ain't gonna tell her. No way she likes me back, she'll just laugh."

"Gajeel is afraid to get his heart broken again."

"I ain't ever got my hear—"

Juvia shoved a finger against his lips, a stern look focused on him.

"What if Levy-chan does like Gajeel? Would Gajeel not take her feelings into account?"

"I-"

"Shhh! Do not interrupt Juvia or she will place Gajeel in a water lock."

He certainly never wanted to do that again. His best friend took a deep breath before continuing.

"Juvia loves Gray-sama…everyone knows. But Gray-sama doesn't share those feelings. Still, Juvia loves him because he brought love into Juvia's heart and cleared her skies. Did Levy not do the same for Gajeel? Juvia thinks so. So Juvia thinks Gajeel shouldn't make assumptions and should not be held back by guilt."

She placed a peck on his cheek.

"Gajeel is Juvia's oldest friend; she hates to see him so sad. Please, think about what Juvia said." She reached around to grab his drink, slugging it back before going to chase after the ice bastard.

Damn that rain woman.

* * *

Juvia/Gajeel BrOTP forever, I don't care what anyone says.


	6. Chapter 6

If you've already read Autumn Breeze, you can skip this chapter :)

More on the way soon

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Levy had spent another productive day at the library translating manuscripts from Shadow Gear's most recent job. At this rate she and her team would have enough Jewels to pay for rent for the next 6 months. She would happily take one less thing weighing on her mind. She skipped down the road on the outskirts of town. Recently she'd been taking the long way around Magnolia to Fairy Hills, hoping to run into a certain dragon slayer.

Sure enough, she saw him in the distance.

Gajeel sat with his back to a tree, strumming an acoustic guitar. She paused, wanting to approach him, but the blunette knew he would get embarrassed and stalk off.

Levy breathed a heavy sigh. Like a response, the breeze blew in her face and she realized she had an advantage.

She tip-toed behind the tree, hoping the sound of the guitar would hide her footfalls from his sharp ears. As she neared, she could hear a soft rumble of humming and occasionally some words would slip from his mouth. She couldn't help but smile - when he wasn't trying, the man could actually hold a tune well.

She sat and closed her eyes, enjoying the moment while it lasted.

Levy started at a soft call of her name, Pantherlily was hovering above her. She held a finger to her lips and shot Lily a pleading look. The black cat only shook his head and smiled before planting himself in her lap.

Suddenly the wind betrayed her and his playing stopped.

"Shrimp?"

She froze, squeezing Lily tight to her chest.

"I know you're there…I can smell you. You too, Lil'."

She creeped out from behind the tree with a guilty look on her face.

"Um…hi?"

"Care to tell me why you were hidin'?"

She hung her head in shame.

"I knew if you heard me, you'd stop playing. I liked that song."

Gajeel's face twisted in annoyance.

"Sit yer ass down, shortie. I'll keep playing if you want."

She gave that _ridiculously cute _grin and plopped herself down beside him, pulling a book from her bag.

He resumed playing a different, softer song.

It was a moment like this that he was actually grateful she could get so entranced in her books. He'd never be able to save face if she caught him staring.

She wore a pretty lavender-colored sweater dress and dark tights that he was unfamiliar with. Her hair fell in two small braids over her shoulders with her usual a bandana adorning her head, though she wore her fringe down.

She rubbed her goose-fleshed arm with her free hand, not breaking her gaze with her book until she felt his coat drape around her shoulders.

The tiny girl gave him a surprised look.

"You were shivering."

"You didn't have to, aren't you gonna get cold?"

"'m fine." He said gruffly, a faint blush appeared on his cheeks.

He closed his eyes and began playing yet another song, Levy silently wondered how many he had in his head.

It was her turn to admire the view now.  
He wore a dark long sleeved shirt that exposed his own collar bones, now adorned with three studs on each side. He too was sporting a bandana that matched his shirt. She chuckled softly – dragon slayers and their sense of fashion.

He cracked an eye open.

"What's so funny, bookworm?"

"Oh, nothing ~"

They sat there together, not saying a word, as the autumn breeze swept across Magnolia.


	7. Chapter 7

Levy glanced at her timepiece and snapped her book closed.

"I gotta go meet up with the boys at the guild. Thank you for playing for me. It was really nice and you're really good, you know."

Gajeel's face flushed and he lowered his eyes, muttering a thank you.

"Gajeel?"

"Never had anyone compliment me like that. Phantom wasn't one for sincere praise."

"Oh…it's been so long I almost forgot." Levy mused.

'How the hell could she forget that? But this is Shorty, she has the biggest damn heart in the guild.'

He chuckled like there was a joke she had missed, causing his companion to look at him questioningly.

"This guild's full of things I never really had."

He ruffled her hair, letting his hand slide down against her cheek. He could have sworn she leaned into it.

"Thanks Lev, I mean it…didn't mean to sound ungrateful."

Lily cleared his throat and gave him a nudge, breaking their moment.

"Oh, um…do you wanna come over for dinner tomorrow? Lil's gonna be cooking."

"Sure, I'd love to!" she chirped, pulling the dragon slayer into another face-burning hug. He shyly wrapped an arm around her tiny waist, trying again to ignore the smug smile on the gruff Exceed's face.

"Now was that so hard?" Lily asked when Levy was out of earshot.

Levy woke up the next morning in the best mood she'd been in all week. Dinner with Gajeel! Sure, Lily was going to be there too but it had to count for something.

She rifled through her wardrobe to find something cute to wear. It was another cool day, so she settled for a pair of jeans and an orange long-sleeved tunic that exposed her shoulders.

As usual, Jet and Droy were gushing over her as soon as she entered the guild. While the two sometimes got on her nerves, it was really nice to be spending some more time with them. After a while the two went off on their own daily activities, leaving Levy alone at the table. She opened the new book she checked out from the library and hummed to herself softly as she read.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Lucy's voice seemed to come out of nowhere, causing the script mage to start.

"Oh, Lu-chan, you scared me! It's nothing really."

Levy glanced to the side to see Lily and Gajeel enter the guild. She grinned and waved to the pair.

"I saw that look Levy! Something's going on with you two, isn't there?" Lucy nearly shouted.

She threw her hand over Lucy's mouth.

"Lu-chan! It's nothing really. Gajeel just invited me over to have dinner with him and Lily." Lucy's eyes practically sparkled.

"Ahh! How romantic!"

"Lu-channnn…" she whined, throwing her head onto the table.

"I know, I know…it's not a date. But you are gonna tell him how you feel, aren't you?"

"I dunno, we'll see how tonight goes."

"You have to tell me everything, you hear? Pinky promise!"

Levy giggled, taking the blonde's pinky with her own.

"Ok, pinky promise."

Levy was so enthralled in her new book that evening had rolled around faster than she realized. It had been a long time since she had found a book so interesting. She marked the thick volume, now almost finished, and made her way out of the guild. She wound her way through people leaving the city markets that were closing for the evening. It was more crowded than usual and someone shoulder checked her hard.

"Hey, watch where you're going please!"

She turned to face a grinning Gajeel. He was carrying a small bag of groceries.

"Ass. I was just heading over to your place; I didn't expect to see you out." she said as the two walked down the street.

"I had to pick up some minute things for Lily. He's really particular with his ingredients. Damn cat."

"Well it's nice of him to make dinner. What's the occasion?"

"Eh..nothing really, he just likes to make special stuff from time to time." he lied. Lily had been harping on him for days to invite her over. Apparently the cat was tired of him moping about over the girl. Whether or not he'd try to make a move tonight was another thing.

They began to pass by a clearing when Levy's eyes lit up. She grabbed Gajeel's hand and dragged him behind her.

"H-hey! What are ya doing?"

"I almost forgot! The festival should start in a few days!"

Sure enough, there were the beginnings of tents and booths strewn around the area.

"I love the festivals here! There's lots of food and games, and we all get dressed up in kimono to have fun!"

"I've never been to one." Gajeel said.

"Whaaat? You have to come along then! Please?" How could he say no to that?

"Sure, shrimp. I'll go one night if it'll make you happy."

The little blunette beamed up to him. He suddenly became aware that he was still holding her hand, as did she; but neither made a move to let go. Instead he just pulled her along.

"Let's go, Lily's probably wondering where his stuff is."


	8. Chapter 8

And here it is ~~

Sorry for making everyone wait, I had some major writer's block with the finishing touches to this chapter.

Enjoy! :)

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Lily grumbled to himself as he prepared the trio's meal. Hopefully something would happen tonight to jumpstart his partner's relationship with the little mage. He was growing tired of Gajeel being so exceptionally moody recently. He'd be in a grand mood when she was around, even if the dragon slayer didn't outwardly show it, but quickly switch to being grumpy the rest of the day. Frankly, it was annoying as hell.

Getting Gajeel to even invite Levy over was like pulling teeth. He finally had to conspire with Mira to find a plausible excuse, and that was even worse. The barmaid was infamous for her matchmaking schemes and for good reason. Half of her scenarios were impractical and farfetched at best, but she seemed only mildly disappointed when he decided on a simple dinner.

The smell of burning garlic snapped him out of his recollection.

"Damn it!"

"We're here!" Levy called as they entered into the house.

"Oi cat, here's your shit." He set the bag on the counter top.

"So rude! Lily, where does this stuff belong?" Levy questioned.

"Levy, you are our guest. You don't need to help us put these things away."

"But…"

"Go sit yer ass in my room until we're done." Gajeel steered her down the hall.

Levy pushed the door open slowly and poked her head inside. His room matched the simplicity of the rest of the house, containing only a dresser, some shelves, a nightstand with a lamp, and a huge bed. Letting her inner child take over, the girl took a running leap onto the mattress.

'Comfy!' She had to give Gajeel credit; he certainly knew how to pick out furniture.

She reached into her bag, searching for something to keep her amused. Pulling out a well worn novel that was a favorite of Erza's, the bookworm flipped to a dog-eared page and began reading. Her face almost immediately turned as scarlet as the aforementioned woman's hair. Levy had read her fair share of romance novels but this was downright smutty! She couldn't tear her eyes off of it, however, as curiosity often got the better of her. Part of her longed for the intense and intimate romance that her books portrayed but she also knew that books were just that – stories. Real relationships were hardly so neat and perfect. They could be complicated and awkward, if they even got that far. She sighed deeply at the implication her mind was throwing at her. Gajeel didn't even seem to be fazed by her presence, let alone realize how she acted around him.

Levy was so wrapped up in her own inner monologue that she didn't realize her crush had entered the room until he snatched the book from her hands. He sat down in front of her, inspecting the cover of the novel.

"What'cha readin' there Shrimp?"

Hazel eyes widened as she realized what was going on.

'_Holy_ _crap! _I can't let him see that book! I'll never hear the end of it!'

"I-It's nothing…just give it back!" Levy reached for the book, but his hand jerked away from hers.

"If it's nothin', what's got ya so flustered?"

He raised the tome higher above his head, out of her reach. She perched on the balls of her feet, batting at the book like a cat with string. Gajeel passed it from one hand to the other, a grin widening on his face. This was way too easy.

"_Gihi_, Shrimp. Gotta try harder." The tall mage chuckled darkly as he stood up to put the book completely out of her reach.

"C'mon! Why do you have to be so mean, you stupid tin toad?!" She crossed her arms and pushed out her lower lip in an annoyingly cute pout.

"Tin toad? So that's how you feel?"

Gajeel's head was bowed, shoulders hunched in defeat.

"Gajeel?" She leaned towards him but he turned away

'What the hell? I couldn't really have insulted him, could I?'

Levy reached a hand out to his shoulder.

"Um, hey! I didn't really mean it."

He whipped around with a growl and grabbed her waist and wrist. Levy responded with a squeal and shut her eyes tight. After seconds of silence, she cautiously peeked an eyelid open to the grinning idiot in front of her.

He started to laugh deeply, letting her wrist go to point at her.

"Y-you should have se-seen your face." he cackled

The little mage just stared him down resentfully.

"Huh? What's wrong, shrimp?"

"What's wrong?! You asshole!" She buffeted his chest with her small fists.

Lily sighed as he heard Gajeel's yells of protest to the abuse the little one was dishing out to him. Maybe he was wrong to think this was going somewhere any time soon.

"Geez, squirt…what's gotten into you?"

"I. Have. A. Name. Use it!" She angrily retorted

"Yeah, yeah."

Gajeel picked her up and sat himself down on the edge of the bed. If her straddled position on his lap made him nervous, he made no sign showing it. Levy however, felt her face heat up instantly.

"Why do you have to be so mean?" Levy didn't dare look him in the eyes, afraid his keen eyes could literally see right through her embarrassment.

Gajeel's face softened and he loosened his grip on her waist.

"I just do it 'cuz I like you." His voice betrayed his thoughts and he quickly corrected his sentence. He really wasn't ready for this.

"You, Juvia, and Lily are the only good friends I have, so who else do I have to pick on?"

A sharp chill ran up Levy's spine and seemed to strike her heart. Her hands fell to her lap to fidget with her tunic.

"Oh."

'I was so stupid to think that he'd think of me as any more than a friend.'

"Lev?" He lifted her chin to see eyes glassy with tears. His studded brows pushed together in a silent question. She wanted to run, but there was something in the way his crimson eyes pierced her vision that stayed her – she had to let him know.

Levy took her chance to grab his collar and close the now small distance between their lips. His were surprisingly soft, as was the rest of his skin. She half expected it to be cold and hard like the iron he consumed. His arm was slightly cool and tough, but gave to her touch.

Gajeel's body stiffened with realization under her contact. He felt his lips deceive his mind as they began to move against hers, but he quickly regained composure.

The small woman found herself being pushed away from the dragon slayer who now had a stunned yet pained look on his face.

Her face began to heat up yet again, aware of her mistake.

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have a-assumed…" She stuttered, trying to cover her crimson face.

Something in the way that blush crept across her face set his mind racing. For the life of him, he couldn't figure it out. What had this girl done to him? He'd had no lack of women in his bed, yet she was different. She _felt_ different.

And he hated it.

There was no reason she should be doing this, no reason he deserved to have her lips on his. It was selfish to think he could have her after what he did.

But selfish won out.

"It's fine."

He leaned in this time to capture her lips with his. He kissed her slowly and hesitantly. In his Phantom days, the nights spent with various women were as hard as his appearance. Rough kisses, touches, and torn clothing had been the result with them.

Not this one…not with Levy. There was no harsh ache of lust. For now, he was perfectly content with what was happening in this moment. He pulled away and peered down his nose at the doe-eyed, blue-haired girl on his lap.

"How long?...and why hadn't you said anything before?"

She glanced away shyly

"Since Tenrou. I was afraid…"

There it was - a phrase that felt like a punch in the gut. He balled his fists so hard that his nails bit into his palms.

"Of me?" Was all he said

Levy's head snapped up sharply.

"No! You...you told me you wouldn't take me seriously until I got stronger. I'm still so weak. I'll never be like you, Gray, Erza…not even like Lucy."

"You're wrong."

She jumped at the force in his words.

"I've always taken you seriously, Levy. Since Laxus, since..." He couldn't spit out the memory of her defiance against him.

"You broke Freed's runes twice, and drug my ass halfway across Tenroujima. Your little head's done things I could never do." He ruffled her hair, his hand then cupped her cheek.

"I couldn't possibly believe you had the same feelings…do you?" she questioned.

Gajeel ran a hand through the hair at his temple.

"I…I don't know. I think so, but…"

She smiled at his honesty but marveled at his insecurity. It was as if a completely different man sat in front of her now.

"But…?"

"I'm no good at this kinda thing, shorty. When I try to talk - the words get lost from my brain to my mouth and the wrong ones always come out. Hell, I don't even know how to act half the time I'm around you."

"That's mutual"

"I…I ain't ever done this before."

"What aren't you telling me?"

Gajeel suddenly felt very angry, but kept his voice to a harsh whisper.

"Why? Why me? Why couldn't you fall for one of your lover boys who have been nothing but good to you? I'd just end up hurting you again, or have you forgotten that already?" He practically spit the last part out.

"That's what this is about?"

He nodded silently into his hand.

"It's not about forgetting, Gajeel. I could never forget what you did, but how many times must I tell you that I've forgiven you?"

"I haven't." he said through gritted teeth

"You can't keep running."

"Anything I've ever had is gone. Fairy Tail and you are the best things that have ever happened since Metalicana, and I will do anything to keep myself from fucking it up. I couldn't risk losing you, even if it meant just keeping you as a friend."

"So you'd shy away from your heart to protect it?" She asked accusingly

"It's worked pretty damn well so far!"

"Where has it gotten you? Are you happy?"

He froze at that question. Could he even remember the last time anyone ever asked him that? He already knew the answer to both questions.

He rested his forehead on her shoulder.

"No. No I'm not." He whispered. He didn't even know if 'happy' meant anything to him but that blue cat.

"_Baka Gajeel_." She whispered as she coiled her arms around his neck, pulling him close. Her scent filled his lungs with every breath and slowly he let himself go. His arms circled her tiny waist while he nudged his face further into the crook of her neck.

He clung to her a bit too tightly for comfort, but Levy didn't care. She simply held him and stroked his long hair until she felt the tension in his muscles ease up.

"It's alright, you know, to feel angry and lost. I'm here for you, if you'll only let me."

She gasped when his hard forehead made sudden contact with hers. His eyes were bloodshot and a trace of a pout was on his lips.

"What have ya done to me, Shrimp?"

Her lips parted, but his finger silenced her words before they departed.

"Don't."

His eyes met hers and he pulled her impossibly closer.

"I think…I could work on it. Us, I mean."

She tearfully smiled.

"Oi! Don't go crying on me now! What'd I say?"

"Nothing, you stupid lizard!" she giggled while wiping her eyes. The setting sun streamed in the window and tinted her face and hair with an orange glow.

She was beyond beautiful.


End file.
